Abstract
This study compared junior high school science textbooks to media reports of science, on the basis of four textual characteristics: text type, truth status of statements, metalanguage use, and scientific status of statements and their role in scientific reasoning. The text type of both junior high science textbooks and media reports of science was found to be overwhelmingly expository. There was no argumentation in junior high science textbooks, a finding similar for some of the media reports of science, but vastly different for others, which had considerable argumentation. Almost all statements in the junior high science textbooks were presented as being true. In media reports of science, by contrast, only two thirds of the statements were presented as true. The junior high science textbooks reflected a range of metalanguage use largely limited to observational words, words that describe the process of doing research, and relational words, such as ’cause.’ The frequency of metalanguage use was only one third that found in media reports of science. The majority of both junior high texts and media reports of science was written as statements of fact or conclusion. Implications of these comparisons for the goal of life-long science learning and scientific literacy are examined.
Résumé
Cette étude compare certains manuels scientifiques scolaires du premier cycle du secondaire aux reportages scientifiques présentés dans les médias. L’analyse se fonde sur quatre critères textuels: (a) le type de texte, (b) la vérité des énoncés, (c) l’utilisation du métalangage et (d) le caractère scientifique des énoncés et le rôle qu’ils jouent dans le raisonnement scientifique. Les deux programmes retenus sont ceux de Science Directions (Roberts et al., 1989; Roberts, Winter, Gore et al., 1991; Roberts, Winter, Bullard et al., 1991) et de SciencePlus Technology and Society (McFadden, Morrison, Armour, Hammond et al., 1989; McFadden, Morrison, Armour, Moore et al., 1989; McFadden, Morrison, Armour, Churcher et al., 1989). Il s’agit là de manuels scientifiques généraux utilisés ou approuvés dans plusieurs provinces canadiennes. Ces manuels sont comparables entre eux et présentent des contenus et des structures semblables à ceux qu’on trouve dans les manuels de même niveau utilisés dans d’autres pays industrialisés. II est donc possible de généraliser les résultats de cette étude à d’autres contextes. Quand aux reportages médiatiques analysés ici, nous avons choisi ceux de Norris et Phillips (1994). Ces reportages sont courts, couvrent différents secteurs de la science, présentent des problèmes scientifiques fondamentaux et appliqués et représentent une vaste gamme d’aspects techniques.
Dans tous les cas les textes sont surtout des exposés. Aucun élément d’argumentation n’est présent dans les manuels scolaires, ce qui est également le cas d’une bonne partie des reportages scientifiques présentés dans les médias, alors que les autres types de reportages se caractérisent au contraire par une argumentation étoffée. Presque tous les énoncés contenus dans les manuels du premier cycle du secondaire sont présentés comme vrais, alors que dans les reportages scientifiques, seuls les deux tiers des énoncés le sont. Dans les manuels scolaires, le métalangage se limite surtout aux mots liés à l’observation, ceux qui décrivent des processus de recherche et ceux qui renvoient aux liens relationnels, par exemple les rapports de « cause ». La fréquence du métalangage était environ le tiers comparativement à ce qu’on trouve dans les reportages scientifiques. La plupart des textes contenus dans les manuels et les reportages sont présentés comme des faits ou des conclusions.
La façon dont les manuels sont écrits a des conséquences sur les possibilités pour le système d’éducation d’atteindre son objectif, soit celui de former des citoyens avertis sur le plan scientifique. Une fois la formation scolaire terminée, les reportages scientifiques dans les médias constituent une source importante d’informations scientifiques. Par conséquent, on peut considérer la capacité d’interpréter les reportages médiatiques comme partie intégrante des habiletés qu’il est nécessaire d’acquérir pour devenir un citoyen averti sur le plan scientifique. Les tendances que met en évidence cette étude indiquent que les manuels scolaires privilégient certains aspects des sciences au détriment d’autres. Ils présentent en effets les faits scientifiques et aident les étudiants à reconnaître certains types d’énoncés tels que les rapports de cause à effet. Us présentent également de longs exposés, et fournissent aux étudiants l’occasion de perfectionner leurs capacités de lecture de ce type de texte. Cependant, les manuels scolaires négligent de représenter le caractère argumentatif de la science et la nature même du raisonnement scientifique. Ils ont aussi le défaut de représenter moins bien l’aspect social de la recherche scientifique que ne le font les reportages médiatiques.
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Penney, K., Norris, S.P., Phillips, L.M. et al. The Anatomy of Junior High School Science Textbooks: An Analysis of Textual Characteristics and a Comparison to Media Reports of Science. Can J Sci Math Techn 3, 415–436 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1080/14926150309556580
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14926150309556580